Turkish Student-Style Red Lentils

In Turkey, lentils are a staple. They use red, yellow, green, and brown in soups and to make a variety of balls. After living there for 6 months, I became a pro at preparing them. This, however, was the first recipe that I learned when I moved there. It can be made into a soup for a starter or prepared as a main meal. Several of the spices are nearly impossible to find outside of Turkey or a Turkish grocery store, so you may need to make appropriate substitutions. Enjoy!

Prep time: 2 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 c/260 g red lentils, washed

1 onion, diced

1 potato, cubed

1 red chili pepper

1/2 red tomato

1 tbsp bulgur wheat

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp chili paste (optional)

2 tsp isot

2 tbsp butter

11 tbsp ground mint leaf

2 tsp olive oil

2 tsp sumac (optional)

1/2 fresh lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Heat 2 tsp olive oil in large pot, then saute onions until translucent. Add 6 c/1.5 l of water, potatoes, tomato, red chili pepper, and lentils, and bring to a boil. Then add tomato and chili paste, and leave to simmer until lentils are tender and potatoes are cooked (25 minutes).

When finished, pour the mixture through a sieve. Set lentil and potato mixture aside, and leave broth in the pot.

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Hi I’m Leah

In 2012, I left the U.S. in search of adventure. This site allows me to share the stories and bites from along the way, and to offer a little inspiration for anyone who wants to be a "Yes" person. Welcome!